White House staff have been told to hunker down and power through the tumult of saving President Joe Biden’s 2024 campaign, according to multiple reports.
Biden’s chief of staff, Jeff Zients, held an all-staff call on Wednesday telling aides that they should be proud of their work and to tune out the noise surrounding their big boss as he doubles down on his reelection bid, according to The Hill.
As Biden scrambles this week to assure donors and heavyweight backers after a calamitous debate showing, Zients told staffers to go heads down and “execute, execute, execute,” The New York Times wrote.
The Hill reported that Zients encouraged staffers to stay disciplined and support each other.
The Associated Press also reported on the meeting, writing that it was an effort to boost morale in the White House.
It comes as Biden told his team and Democratic National Committee staff on Wednesday that he would continue running, pushing back on reports that said he privately contemplated whether his campaign may be beyond salvaging.
“I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end, and we’re going to win,” Biden said.
The president has been battling a potential rout among panicked donors and key supporters since the debate, in which he repeatedly mumbled, didn’t finish his sentences, and sometimes seemed distracted or lost.
At least two Democratic lawmakers have since called on Biden to step down from reelection, while another two have said the President would likely lose to his rival, former President Donald Trump.
Biden’s office has been widely reported to be fielding a flurry of calls and meetings with political leaders, including majority leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic House leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
The White House has so far managed to rally endorsements from several Democratic governors, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walsh, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Pundits and observers still have their doubts.
“In the face of impending failure, extensive evidence shows that instead of rethinking our plans, we often double down on our decisions,” wrote Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, in an op-ed for The Times. “It feels better to be a fighter than a quitter.”
Press teams for the Biden campaign and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.
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